Much like last year’s debate over health care reform, Republicans and President Obama once again find themselves at odds, this time over whether or not to build a nationwide high-speed rail system. Already, Republican governors from Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida have rejected over a combined $3 billion for building high-speed rail, stalling the Obama plan, at least for now.

As the administration tries to get back on track, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat and co-chair of Building America’s Future — a non-partisan advocacy group calling for infrastructure investment — is making the case for spending now on modernizing the national transportation system, even as an emboldened Republican Party tries to cut government spending and tighten the country’s belt.